Kids Participate In Meaningful Psychological Studies The Darndest Things
A particular psychological experiment developed in the 1960s involving children and marshmallows has become quite popular lately. It was featured in a non-broadcast podcast episode of RadioLab*, and it was recently the subject of a New Yorker article. The experiment itself is rather simple. A child is brought into a room by a researcher, given a marshmallow, and told that he or she is welcome to eat their marshmallow right away but if he or she does not eat the marshmallow until the researcher gets back then the researcher will give the child a second marshmallow. Pure profit! And it turns out that the results of the experiment have lasting ramifications for the subjects.
Once Mischel began analyzing the results, he noticed that low delayers, the children who rang the bell quickly, seemed more likely to have behavioral problems, both in school and at home. They got lower S.A.T. scores. They struggled in stressful situations, often had trouble paying attention, and found it difficult to maintain friendships. The child who could wait fifteen minutes had an S.A.T. score that was, on average, two hundred and ten points higher than that of the kid who could wait only thirty seconds.
The researchers followed the original test subjects into their 30s and found that the children who had been unable to resist eating their initial marshmallow were often less financially successful, had more health problems, and a higher incidence of drug use. Self-control as a skill developed early on can affect the pattern of a child's entire life! Very interesting!
But what the podcasts and articles do not tell you is HOW CUTE THIS TEST IS!
Aw! Uncovering the deep-seated behavioral triggers behind impulse control and examining how those tendencies continue to influence us in adult life is DARLING! (Via most blogs about stuff today.)
*Are you guys listening to RadioLab? Because if you're not listening to RadioLab, you should really be listening to RadioLab. It's the RadioBest. It's so interesting and enjoyable. Download it to your Zune today!
Posted by Gabe at 2:45 PM in Science
Tags: Children | Marshmallows
so not liking marshmallows has led me to this life of riches?
Score = 16
I felt the same way until I found out that there's a variation of the test that's done with Oreos.
Score = 7
isn't there something in The Origin of Species that says this test only works with brownies
Score = 7
Was anyone else yelling "DON'T EAT IT! YOU'LL GO TO JAIL!" at the kids? I was. Between painful, sympathetic laughs.
Also, that ginger is like FUCK YO' TEST!
Score = 32
And in the strangest coincidence, I've just been having a Twitter-off with a bunch of people about childhood testing and labeling and what it actually predicts about later success and behavior. The consensus is that it's all nonsense.
Score = 2
the little ginger girl seemed way younger than the other kids, which might not make it quite fair. but the fact that she was stuffing the marshmellow in her mouth while the woman was in the room still making the offer was beyond hilarious.
Score = 21
That AND once she's done with the marshmallow, she picks up the plate and pimps out of there - no regrets. Awesome kid.
Score = 13
as a kid, i once ate a stale marshmallow found under my neighbour's bed that had been coloured on with a marker.
in related news, i'm unemployed.
Score = 107
I signed in just to upvote this. It gave me the lulz.
Score = 10
word. right on board with you.
Score = 6
same here, i haven't logged in for weeks but i just had to because this comment made me laugh harder than the whole movie "Year One" (incl bloopers at the end).
Score = 0
This is the best.
Score = 2
Even a little while after reading your comment (and the lollercoaster that followed), I'm still chuckling a bit. ALL THE UPVOTES!
Score = 7
Looks like someone's gonna be reppin' the WORD-COMMENTS in the Ball this week!! I am 1000% sure I am not inordinately excited about this.
Score = 5
aw man unemployment is the worst but also i suspect the thing that makes the monsters worlds turn. but have hope! the turning point for me was making the monsters ball. after that it all came together. i have two jobs now! i'm know it'll happen for you too
Score = 0
My mom does this to me, but it's scaled up because i'm an ADULT.
And by scaled up i mean KFC Double Down Chicken sandwiches. She's all "you can eat your bacon and cheese sandwich with friend chicken instead of bread right now, or you can wait 5 minutes for me to go to KFC and get you another bacon and cheese sandwich with fried chicken instead of bread and then have two later."
And i'm all 'NOW!!!'. It's always now.
Score = 22
"Friend chicken"? Does this mean KFC's chicken is Soylent Green or that you enjoy the company of chickens? Either way, America still says JUST FUCKING PUT CHEESE AND BACON ON IT AND GIVE IT TO ME NOW!
Score = 15
My dad is a child psychologist and he used to do this sort of test on me all the time. Or he would bring me into the class he taught and have his grad students do tests on me. I always waited for the second marshmallow, but I'm still broke. Fuck you dad.
Score = 33
What do the researchers have to say about the kids who take the marshmallow, take their butane, and melt it down into a nice smooth liquid, and inject it into their jugular vein. Technically, this isn't eating the marshmallow. So, do they score high on their SATs too?
Score = 13
those kids grow with a fundamental misunderstanding of snacking
Score = 22
That one kid, the one who waited, is totally Your Boss. Already. There are some con artists in the bunch too. A few career criminals. A couple internet trolls. So revealing, this test.
Score = 19
Hey Gabe, are you going to the Season 6 kick-off party at Water Taxi Beach on Wednesday? You should meet Jad if you haven't already.
Score = 1
This is missing a Cute As Balls tag.
And to the little boy who keeps smelling the marshmallow, but never waivers, I love you.
Score = 14
*wavers.
Score = 1
I remember after hearing that episode of Radiolab I fell deep into a depressive funk. Because I had to admit to myself that I was a marshmallow-right-away eater, leading to my adult life of dead-end jobs and pigpen apartments. Damn you, gelatinous goo of goodness! I blame your irresistibility for the road my life has taken!
Score = 7
This almost makes me want to have kids. Almost.
Score = 3
Kinda creepy with the sound off. America's addiction to white sugar revealed, twitches and all.
Score = 2
My move (and this seemed to be the thoughts of at least one of the other kids) would be to eat the center out of it, leaving the shell, hoping that she doesn't actually examine the marshmallow.
Score = 10
you obviously ended up setting your ritalin to kids in college. that's some sneaky scheming there!
Score = 2
ugh, fucking SELLING. not setting. when will i learn to proofread my comments?
Score = 1
While the study does forecast low SAT scores for the kiddos unable to delay gratification, what it fails to predict is the likelihood for success in "Chubby Bunny" contests down the road.
Score = 10
It's funny because the adorable kids who ate the marshmallows are going to be meth addicts in 20 years.
Score = 11
That's always been of my all time favorite words...It so suits it...Love everything about them...
Score = -2
Wh...aaa...t?
Score = 3
That's always been of my all time favorite words...It so suits it...Love everything about them...
Score = 0
I'm upvoting this for sheer creepiness.
Score = 5
So the kids that pick off little pieces and eat them in the hopes that'll count as not eating it, they end up running pyramid scams and defrauding the government, right?
Score = 27
i was thinking they were maybe functioning alcoholics. like, people who always have to have at least one cocktail when they get home, but who don't let it interfere with their work or family life.
Score = 10
wait - functioning what now?
Score = 1
If I was one of those twins I would have eaten my brothers and ended up with three marshmallows because bullying wins.
Score = 22
WHOA! At first I thought you were endorsing cannibalism.
Score = 9
this video is my new happy place on the internet.
Score = 3
Damn videogum! Now all I can think of is marshmallows.
Score = 1
I agree Gabe, everyone should stop looking at videogum and start listening to radiolab.
Score = -4
this made my day. there is some seriously painful shit going on in this video! a full 15 mins?? yeesh.
Score = 0
Finally, the return of www.radiogum.com !
Score = 3
The kid in the jersey who straight kisses the marshmallow grows up to have some weird fetishes, I bet.
Score = 4
um, i would totally eat the marshmallow. i guess i really suck at life
Score = 0
Ugh. I laughed until I cried. I read the comments and laughed more. this IS cute as balls! And the kid that won, holy hell, I was rooting for him the whole time!
I am so worried for ginger girl. Sure I applaud the fact that she is unapologetic and takes what she wants. And I’m sure that will serve her well as a pill addicted wife of a much older oil baron. But really? You didn’t even pretend to not want to stuff it in your mouth. I hope you don't become a prostitute.
P.S. Marshmallow smell is the best.
Score = 0
The trick to the test is asking the kid to stay in the chair.
Score = 2
Actually I just watched this again and the crazy thing is the first ten or so seconds hold the key - her words are, after all, the premise for the whole gag/serious scientific process. She says - Marshmallow... for you. She then goes on to outline the rules, but the core of the game is Marshmallow (soft slap of marshmallow against plate) for you. If she said, "This is yours," or "I am giving you this," or "A Complete Sentece With a Verb," then these guys (many fractions of our ages) might have a chance. Speak to your children more directly, Science!
Score = 3
All this proves is that marshmallows are a gateway drug. There is no other explanation for my crippling addiction to Mallomars.
Score = 4
That ginger girl was like stuffing her face while that lady was still offering the 2nd marshmallow she ws all " whatever, I'm so eating this right now in front of your face" :)
Score = 0
That ginger girl was like stuffing her face while that lady was still offering the 2nd marshmallow she ws all " whatever, I'm so eating this right now in front of your face" :)
Score = 0
This test should have been done with chocolate. xD Chocolate is WAY harder to resist.
But then again I hate marshmellows so.. xD
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